Posted by Ensign Elemirre Serinde (Engineer) in Elemirre - Quarters

Posted by Ensign Elemirre Serinde (Engineer) in Elemirre - Quarters
El had found her quarters earlier thanks to the quartermaster. Instead of a barracks that she was used to from her last school, El was confronted with the luxury of a room with only one other. The ensign Shelley Maddox was not in. She was apparently in science. She found the upper bunk to be unoccupied and tossed her bag on it, noting that otherwise she had a small closet to work with. No matter how one spelled it, the place was small. But, on the upside, she noted, it was close to the Galley and only a hop and skip away from engineering.

Returning after her initial checks she found the cabin still unoccupied and busied herself with unpacking. Clothing was a tight fit in the closet that was more of a glorified locker than anything but she fit that in. The work station was tiny as well; thankfully she was tiny and she was able to squeeze into the chair. Opening the drawers she found some ‘leftovers’ - a deck of cards with a mosaic design on the back, and what looked to be an old hand held game console. She tried it but it didn’t work.

“Peters broke it,” came a voice from the door. “That was Monica’s ex. Never could get it to work after.”
El wheeled around. “I …”
“Shelley. I do so hope you stay around. I feel all my roommates have a shelf life that is less than cheese.” She came into the room and shut the door with a clang. Shelley seemed as elegant as a bull. She was twice El’s size but it suited her somehow. El watched her go to her bunk and sat down. “I hope you don’t mind the upper bunk. Murder on my knees.”
“No. I love it!” El blurted out. It did look more cramped and a bother but it had a view outside and well, it would work. She hoped.
“I’m glad. Was bunk wars with Monica.” She worked at one boot to unlace it. “I’m one of the few, the proud, the scientists. You?”
“Uh .. Engineering.”
“Monica was a medic. Came back smelling of disinfectant. I suppose I’ll have to get used to motor oil.”
“What does a scientist smell like?” El asked before thinking.
“Something good I hope,” Shelley replied. There was a pause …
El, meeting the roomie

El looked about the small room then focused as Shelley worked at the second bootlace. “What does a girl do here for fun? Never been on a ship before.”
“First rule,” Shelley said, grunting as she pulled off the second boot then wiggled her toes. “Much better. Uh, first rule, watch the MACO’s. They seem to think that tushes are open season. Second rule, you may not mind some of that. Really this is not a big ship and there isn’t a bowling alley about. There’s a small gym. There’s the mess and we play a lot of board games and cards and watch movies. Not that exciting is it?”
“Sounds dreamy!” El exclaimed. Shelley blinked.
“Look I’ll let you get sorted out. I’m having a shower and we can see what the mystery food of the day is.”

El took that opportunity to unload her bag and hang up her things. Even with little it seemed cramped in the small closet. She took out her little personal effects and climbed up onto her bunk. Staring at the ceiling not a meter up her nearly nonexistent nail scraped away at what must have been some tape up on the ceiling. “This is going to be great,” she said softly, smiling up at nothing.
- El

After the short meal Shelley had been called away for a staff meeting in science. She wondered what they did in science in a staff meeting? Count test tubes? Toss Petrie dishes at each other? So El made her way back to her cabin. There were small drawers built in .. quite small. She had room for some things and a little more on the shelf above it, but all told what little. she had was going to be challenged. One thing was a marked leather case with a thick zipper enclosing its contents. El experimented with it and saw that would fit into one of the drawers but nothing else. That was okay. Unzipping it she moved aside a battered notebook that had a label secured on it’s cover. It was in her hand and colored and had one name: Zeffie. Opening it she pulled out two photographs. One was of her and her parents taken before she left for school. It was taken by their long time friend and helper, the aged ‘Yang-zhu’. She secured it above her, and smiled. He could do so much but just could not get the hang of the camera. The other was her graduating class at the British Academy. There were 19 who graduated and she was there, one of only 4 women. She was the only one of them who had been assigned to a space vessel. That photo joined the other. She would have to work out a little desk light for her space, she thought, to shine it on them.
El, Eng